Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health
A physical exam is often part of mental health tests to rule out any physical issues. This could include urine tests, blood tests testing, or even brain scans.
Psychologists also use a wide array of tools to measure mental health. These range from tests that are written on paper and pen to in-depth interviews, or self-complete questionnaires sent to you by post.
Mood and affect
The clinician will first notice the patient's mood as well as their affect. They define a patient's general emotional state. It can be anything from sadness to happiness or anger and irritability. The patient's mood can be measured by facial expressions, overall attitude and reaction to internal or external stimuli. smiling at a joke or crying at the loss of a loved one).
Affect is a feeling that lasts only a few minutes, whereas mood is a longer-lasting emotional state. It is typically described as euthymic or dysphoric or normal (meaning depressed). However, psychiatric professionals must be careful not to confuse the terms because they have different definitions and are affected by a variety of factors.
While the MSE is a useful clinical tool however, it isn't always easy to interpret based on subjective patient report. Inquiring about the feelings of patients during the past few weeks can be more beneficial than relying on just the observations of a doctor. Recent research has revealed that assessment tools were different in their ability to identify a significant part of symptoms. This included those that were grouped under the same disorder. This can be because of the different emphasis placed on emotional or cognitive symptoms, as well as differences between the time intervals and frequency of symptom reporting.
It is also possible that the MSE relies on self-report which is susceptible to bias. For example, a patient who complains of a headache and anxiety will likely have less than someone who has only the sensation of a headache. Patients tend to minimize negative emotions while exaggerating positive feelings.
Mood and affect directly affect thought content and can affect the way people make decisions, their interpersonal behavior and physical functioning. They can be affected by stress, fatigue, social interactions, world events, hormones and even the weather. A positive mood can boost creativity and mental energy. A negative mood can lead to confusion and decrease concentration. A thorough and careful mental health assessment must consider the patient's mood as well as affect and the fundamental factors.
Thought content
The ability to determine how a patient thinks is among the most crucial aspects of a mental state exam. Particularly, it is assessing thought process and thoughts. The term "thought process" refers to the coherence, logic, and organization of a patient's thinking. The normal process of thinking is goal directed and rational. In many mental health disorders, however, thought processing is altered. Examples include hallucinations, delusions, and loose associations.
A mental health assessment also assesses the quality of insight and judgement. Insight is the ability to identify a problem. Judgment is the ability to make a well-considered choice after receiving information. Both are affected by a variety of mental health issues such as schizophrenia and depression. A patient with impaired insight or judgement is more prone to harm themselves or others. If they are in danger, their sensible judgement would suggest leaving the premises immediately. A patient with impaired judgement might suggest that they remain in the building to try and get rid of the fire.
Thought content includes the topics, subject matter, and beliefs that a patient has. Examiners will assess the clarity, relevance and content of a patient's thoughts. They will also note any thoughts that are tangential or circumstantial, and whether the patient is prone to having a flurry of thoughts (digressions from the conversation subject). mental illness assessment will also discuss the pace of a person's thoughts, such as whether they seem fast or slow.
Other important aspects to consider are whether the patient's thoughts are mood and in tune with their environment. Patients suffering from depression may hear voices of anger, while those suffering from schizophrenia may experience a hallucination that a soothing voice is speaking. Ask the patient if they've had any thoughts of suicide or homicide. They are not common, but they can be life-threatening and should be taken into account during every mental health assessment.
Watching
The nurse's ability to observe is crucial in the mental assessment. They are a thorough review of the appearance, behavior and any strange beliefs or perceptions (such as hallucinations or delusions) mood, and aspects of cognition (including attention, orientation memory). A nursing mental status examination also involves observing motility, including any physical movement, such as eating drinking, eating, brushing teeth using the toilet and taking off shoes.
The Observation element of the mental state exam is an essential element of determining if the patient could pose an imminent risk to themselves or others. This is accomplished by determining whether or not the patient is moving in a way which suggests they may be threatening to harm themselves or anyone else.
A detailed assessment of the thought content is also done by monitoring the patient during the interview and determining their preoccupations. It is essential to determine whether the patient is experiencing suicidal, homicidal or delusional thoughts.
A global assessment of functioning (GAF) is an evaluation of the numerical value on a scale from zero to 100 that evaluates the capacity of a person to function in daily life along with their capacity to handle the stressors in their life. The GAF is a vital element of the mental state examination and helps to guide treatment decisions.
It is crucial to realize that observing the behavior of a patient may cause anxiety. It is therefore important that the procedure is conducted in a manner that does not cause discomfort or feel intrusive. It is also essential that the patient is aware of the reason for the observation as well as the length of time it will last.
Nursing observation is a crucial ability that should be the core of any nursing process. However, it should be noted that patients might not agree with the degree of observation. If they cannot reach an agreement with the staff, they should have access to an advocate service which can represent their needs and help them in any discussions regarding their care. This should be part of the local policy and practice, with the involvement and the support of user groups.
Questioning
A lot of people are hesitant to discuss their mental health issues, but family members can usually tell when something is amiss. They can also encourage the person to take a look at an assessment. These assessments can be a variety of subjects, including mood, appearance and thought process. A mental health professional can also inquire about the person's personal life. They will ask what they feel and what's happened in the last few days.
The assessment also includes a cognitive assessment, which focuses on the ability of the individual to think clearly and recall information. The person may be required to complete basic tasks such as focusing on a list or objects, remembering lists, or solving math questions. The test can be used to test the ability of the person's judgement and to make sound decisions. The assessment determines a patient's insight which is their understanding of their condition and how it affects them.
The person's attitude towards others, himself and the illness is also an important part of a mental assessment. The patient's expression, facial expression and body language can indicate anger, hostility, depression or a sense of powerlessness. It is also important to know whether the patient is seeking help or just living with their condition.
In more serious cases, a mental health assessment may include an assessment of the patient's thinking, which could involve hallucinations (false perceptions of sensory stimuli that are not real stimuli) or illusions (misperceptions of real stimuli). It is important to note the presence of these disorders because they can be extremely risky and even life-threatening.
In general an assessment of mental health must be holistic and consider the person's interactions with their social world. A health professional may use photographs, music, art or any other electronic assessment tool to gain a better understanding of the person. They should also talk with the person about the issues that led them to seek help and assure them that there is nothing wrong with seeking out a mental health professional.